"The baby, right now, has some lung problems because he was born premature, and he's not doing very well," the victim's aunt, Hazel Smith, said.

Smith said neither is her niece, Melissa Harris, the mother of the newborn.

"Melissa is really shook up. She was asleep last night and woke up having nightmares of what had happened," said Smith.

Neighbors said what happened shook them, too. According to police, 21-year-old Dakota Landers, the father of the child, showed up at the apartment on Nichols Drive to get his belongings during an apparent breakup with Melissa.

"Boom, boom, boom. First they knocked on the bathroom wall and they they knocked on the door," said a witness, who didn't want to be identified.

The woman, who lives next door, said she is used to hearing the fighting when Landers comes by. But this time, she said the thumps and banging lasted more than an hour.

When it stopped, she checked on Harris.

"She had marks on her face, she had marks on her neck and she had a big mark on her stomach," the witness said.

The neighbor said it looked like she had been kicked, and at the time, Harris was pregnant.

In addition to choking and beating Harris, police said Landers threw a television out of the window and told Harris she was going to die. Family members said he did even more.

"He destroyed everything the baby had. I'm talking about the crib to the changing table, and the baby's clothes, he threw out the window," said Smith.

Emergency medical services transported Harris to the hospital and induced labor, fearing she was bleeding internally. Hours later, she gave birth to a 7 pound, 9 ounce baby boy, named Payton Tyler, but he has had a violent start, a start family said Landers should pay for.

"I hope that Dakota will watch this knowing that his baby is in ICU and fighting to breathe," said Smith.

Landers was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment and assault in this case.

Court records also show in 2010, Landers was one of two men involved in a road-rage beating in Jeffersonville that left a man in a coma.

TONIGHT AFTER HE IS BORN PREMATURELY DUE TO THE BEATING OF HIS MOTHER. NEIGHBORS SAY SHE WAS BRUTALLY ATTACKED BY THE FATHER OF THE CHILD. THE MOMS FAMILY SAYS THEY WANT JUSTICE. WLKY'S KIMBERLY EASTON HAS MORE ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HAZEL SMITH SAYS...NEITHER IS HER NIECE, MELISSA HARRIS, THE MOTHER OF THE NEWBORN. NEIGHBORS SAY WHAT HAPPENED SHOOK THEM TOO. ACCORDING TO POLICE, 21-YEAR OLD DAKOTA LANDERS, THE FATHER OF THE CHILD, SHOWED UP AT THE APARTMENT ON NICHOLS DRIVE TO GET HIS BELONGINGS..DURING AN APPARENT BREAK UP..WITH MELISSA. IT DIDN'T GO WELL. THIS WOMAN WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR SAYS SHE IS USED TO HEARING THE FIGHTING WHEN LANDERS, COMES BY. BUT THIS TIME..SHE SAYS THE THUMPS AND BANGING LASTED MORE THAN AN HOUR. WHEN IT STOPPED, SHE CHECKED ON MELISSA. THE NEIGHBOR SAYS IT LOOKED LIKE SHE HAD BEEN KICKED..AND AT THE TIME..MELISSA WAS PREGNANT. IN ADDITION TO CHOKING AND BEATING MELISSA..POLICE SAY DAKOTA LANDERS THREW A TELEVISION OUT OF THE WINDOW..TELLING MELISSA SHE WAS GOING TO DIE. FAMILY MEMBERS SAY HE DID EVEN MORE. EMS TRANSPORTED MELISSA TO THE HOSPITAL AND INDUCED LABOR..FEARING SHE WAS BLEEDING INTERNALLY. HOURS LATER..SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A SEVEN POUND, 9 OUNCE BABY BOY..NAMED PAYTON TYLER. BUT HE'S HAD A VIOLENT START..A START FAMILY SAYS DAKOTA LANDERS SHOULD PAY FOR. KIMBERLY EASTON, WLKY NEWS. LANDERS IS CHARGED WITH 1ST DEGREE WANTON ENDANGERMENT AND ASSAULT IN THIS CASE. COURT RECORDS ALSO SHOW IN 2010, LANDERS WAS ONE OF TWO MEN INVOLVED IN A ROAD RAGE BEATING IN JEFFERSONVILLE THAT LEFT A MAN IN A COMA.